Sydney Update
Jul 10th 2003, 5:07 pm
#1
Sun Dodger
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Castle Hill, Sydney
Posts: 204
Sydney Update
Hi everyone,
I'm still alive, I've been pretty busy during this first week, & don't get much time online.
Just to let everyone know what's going on. Arrived on 2nd at 8pm. Work booked me into a hotel in Parramatta for the first week. Got picked up at 9am on 3rd, issued with a phone & Holden Commodore 3.5L V6 & made to drive down to the bank to open an account. I'm still waiting for cards & cheque book though a week later.
Company car tax here is paid for by the employer which is definately a boon. I also get free fuel for private use (within reason) by means of a fuel card. The following are a selected few of the company car rules taken verbatum from the employee rule book:
"The company provides fuel by means of a company fuel card. This includes fuel for private use, just don't take the piss or this facility will be withdrawn."
"The towing of monster-sized boats is prohibited unless the boat is a directors boat & you have his permission."
"Do not take the vehicle off-road, (except where absolutely bloody necessary)."
"The vehicle is not to be taken out of the State for private use without prior director approval."
The car is a monster really, rear wheel drive, so need to be careful in the wet by all accounts. It's a Sedan, so its not going to be much good for carrying furnature when I eventually get some.
3rd & 4th were spent mainly recovering from jet-lag, which seems to kick in about 3pm. I hardly slept on the way over so not surprising really.
Saturday and Sunday were spent having a drive around looking for somewhere to stay for the first 6 months or so. It's a real pain during the week as it gets dark around 5pm at the moment. Both days were beautifully sunny but still quite cold.
The traffic here is crazy, everyone drives like maniacs, nose to tail with pretty narrow lanes to some of the streets (Parramatta Road being the worst - avoid if possible). There are also traffic lights everywhere, its a good job the car is an automatic. This in itself is an experience not having driven one before. There are speed cameras everywhere, but there is no excuse really, as in NSW each one is supposed to be signposted 3 times before you reach it.
Booked out of the hotel today, so booked in a B&B in Burwood for the next week at least. Its a bit of a dump & bloody freezing, so I've hired a heater for a dollar a day, but once again the people who run it are really friendly. This should give me a bit of breathing space for getting somewhere to live. It can take a week to get all the contracts drawn up etc when leasing. Most real estate agents won't take cash, so hopefully the cheque book will turn up soon.
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
The up side of this is that it's going into a town called Millicent just inside South Australia, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Looks like I'll be dropping into the office in Melbourne while I'm down thre too. Should be nice to see something other than nose to tail conjestion on the roads.
By the way, we opened a HSBC account in the UK, expecting it to make it easier to transfer funds, but they have turned out to be totally incompetant, taking over 4 days to transfer it, so beware.
First impressions are that Sydney is a bit of a scruffy hole (the bits I've seen so far), the traffic is manic, but the people are friendly. Even though it's scruffy, there is an amazing lack of litter for a city of this size. Real-Estate agents all seem to be spotty 18 year old sharks in smart suits who drive crappy white Toyotas. Houses & Units are crammed into every spare bit of land possible. The radio is a bit of a laugh the BBC would go mad. Some of the words I've heard on the morning radio show this week:
Bloody (quite mild really)
Bug**r
S**t
C**p
Wan**r
Ba**s
Still haven't managed to get into the centre of Sydney yet, been too busy.
By the way, anyone know of any decent suburbs with decent schools?
Those phonecards are a real boon. I bought a $20 dollar card & still have $12 left on it after a week. Made some pretty long calls back to UK too. You do however also get charged the local call rate while using the phone, but this is pretty cheap. Even with all the phone calls though, I'm really missing Kim (Mrs Bluerobot) & the kids like mad.
Bye for now,
Dave.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
I'm still alive, I've been pretty busy during this first week, & don't get much time online.
Just to let everyone know what's going on. Arrived on 2nd at 8pm. Work booked me into a hotel in Parramatta for the first week. Got picked up at 9am on 3rd, issued with a phone & Holden Commodore 3.5L V6 & made to drive down to the bank to open an account. I'm still waiting for cards & cheque book though a week later.
Company car tax here is paid for by the employer which is definately a boon. I also get free fuel for private use (within reason) by means of a fuel card. The following are a selected few of the company car rules taken verbatum from the employee rule book:
"The company provides fuel by means of a company fuel card. This includes fuel for private use, just don't take the piss or this facility will be withdrawn."
"The towing of monster-sized boats is prohibited unless the boat is a directors boat & you have his permission."
"Do not take the vehicle off-road, (except where absolutely bloody necessary)."
"The vehicle is not to be taken out of the State for private use without prior director approval."
The car is a monster really, rear wheel drive, so need to be careful in the wet by all accounts. It's a Sedan, so its not going to be much good for carrying furnature when I eventually get some.
3rd & 4th were spent mainly recovering from jet-lag, which seems to kick in about 3pm. I hardly slept on the way over so not surprising really.
Saturday and Sunday were spent having a drive around looking for somewhere to stay for the first 6 months or so. It's a real pain during the week as it gets dark around 5pm at the moment. Both days were beautifully sunny but still quite cold.
The traffic here is crazy, everyone drives like maniacs, nose to tail with pretty narrow lanes to some of the streets (Parramatta Road being the worst - avoid if possible). There are also traffic lights everywhere, its a good job the car is an automatic. This in itself is an experience not having driven one before. There are speed cameras everywhere, but there is no excuse really, as in NSW each one is supposed to be signposted 3 times before you reach it.
Booked out of the hotel today, so booked in a B&B in Burwood for the next week at least. Its a bit of a dump & bloody freezing, so I've hired a heater for a dollar a day, but once again the people who run it are really friendly. This should give me a bit of breathing space for getting somewhere to live. It can take a week to get all the contracts drawn up etc when leasing. Most real estate agents won't take cash, so hopefully the cheque book will turn up soon.
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
The up side of this is that it's going into a town called Millicent just inside South Australia, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Looks like I'll be dropping into the office in Melbourne while I'm down thre too. Should be nice to see something other than nose to tail conjestion on the roads.
By the way, we opened a HSBC account in the UK, expecting it to make it easier to transfer funds, but they have turned out to be totally incompetant, taking over 4 days to transfer it, so beware.
First impressions are that Sydney is a bit of a scruffy hole (the bits I've seen so far), the traffic is manic, but the people are friendly. Even though it's scruffy, there is an amazing lack of litter for a city of this size. Real-Estate agents all seem to be spotty 18 year old sharks in smart suits who drive crappy white Toyotas. Houses & Units are crammed into every spare bit of land possible. The radio is a bit of a laugh the BBC would go mad. Some of the words I've heard on the morning radio show this week:
Bloody (quite mild really)
Bug**r
S**t
C**p
Wan**r
Ba**s
Still haven't managed to get into the centre of Sydney yet, been too busy.
By the way, anyone know of any decent suburbs with decent schools?
Those phonecards are a real boon. I bought a $20 dollar card & still have $12 left on it after a week. Made some pretty long calls back to UK too. You do however also get charged the local call rate while using the phone, but this is pretty cheap. Even with all the phone calls though, I'm really missing Kim (Mrs Bluerobot) & the kids like mad.
Bye for now,
Dave.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Jul 10th 2003, 5:28 pm
#2
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2002
Location: tweed heads, nsw
Posts: 369
really enjoyed your post, dave. seems like you've been thrust straight in at the deep end.
the terms used by people on tv and radio always made me smile, never get away with it on the bbc!
karen
the terms used by people on tv and radio always made me smile, never get away with it on the bbc!
karen
Jul 10th 2003, 5:32 pm
#3
Gone Senile Member
Joined: Sep 2001
Location: Sydney
Posts: 3,014
Your PM box is full!
Contact me ? I tried to send you a message
Glad to hear you are going well, pity you are missing the family, when are then due over?
Cheers
Contact me ? I tried to send you a message
Glad to hear you are going well, pity you are missing the family, when are then due over?
Cheers
Jul 10th 2003, 5:38 pm
#4
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 404
Re: Sydney Update
Originally posted by Bluerobot
Hi everyone,
I'm still alive, I've been pretty busy during this first week, & don't get much time online.
Just to let everyone know what's going on. Arrived on 2nd at 8pm. Work booked me into a hotel in Parramatta for the first week. Got picked up at 9am on 3rd, issued with a phone & Holden Commodore 3.5L V6 & made to drive down to the bank to open an account. I'm still waiting for cards & cheque book though a week later.
Company car tax here is paid for by the employer which is definately a boon. I also get free fuel for private use (within reason) by means of a fuel card. The following are a selected few of the company car rules taken verbatum from the employee rule book:
"The company provides fuel by means of a company fuel card. This includes fuel for private use, just don't take the piss or this facility will be withdrawn."
"The towing of monster-sized boats is prohibited unless the boat is a directors boat & you have his permission."
"Do not take the vehicle off-road, (except where absolutely bloody necessary)."
"The vehicle is not to be taken out of the State for private use without prior director approval."
The car is a monster really, rear wheel drive, so need to be careful in the wet by all accounts. It's a Sedan, so its not going to be much good for carrying furnature when I eventually get some.
3rd & 4th were spent mainly recovering from jet-lag, which seems to kick in about 3pm. I hardly slept on the way over so not surprising really.
Saturday and Sunday were spent having a drive around looking for somewhere to stay for the first 6 months or so. It's a real pain during the week as it gets dark around 5pm at the moment. Both days were beautifully sunny but still quite cold.
The traffic here is crazy, everyone drives like maniacs, nose to tail with pretty narrow lanes to some of the streets (Parramatta Road being the worst - avoid if possible). There are also traffic lights everywhere, its a good job the car is an automatic. This in itself is an experience not having driven one before. There are speed cameras everywhere, but there is no excuse really, as in NSW each one is supposed to be signposted 3 times before you reach it.
Booked out of the hotel today, so booked in a B&B in Burwood for the next week at least. Its a bit of a dump & bloody freezing, so I've hired a heater for a dollar a day, but once again the people who run it are really friendly. This should give me a bit of breathing space for getting somewhere to live. It can take a week to get all the contracts drawn up etc when leasing. Most real estate agents won't take cash, so hopefully the cheque book will turn up soon.
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
The up side of this is that it's going into a town called Millicent just inside South Australia, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Looks like I'll be dropping into the office in Melbourne while I'm down thre too. Should be nice to see something other than nose to tail conjestion on the roads.
By the way, we opened a HSBC account in the UK, expecting it to make it easier to transfer funds, but they have turned out to be totally incompetant, taking over 4 days to transfer it, so beware.
First impressions are that Sydney is a bit of a scruffy hole (the bits I've seen so far), the traffic is manic, but the people are friendly. Even though it's scruffy, there is an amazing lack of litter for a city of this size. Real-Estate agents all seem to be spotty 18 year old sharks in smart suits who drive crappy white Toyotas. Houses & Units are crammed into every spare bit of land possible. The radio is a bit of a laugh the BBC would go mad. Some of the words I've heard on the morning radio show this week:
Bloody (quite mild really)
Bug**r
S**t
C**p
Wan**r
Ba**s
Still haven't managed to get into the centre of Sydney yet, been too busy.
By the way, anyone know of any decent suburbs with decent schools?
Those phonecards are a real boon. I bought a $20 dollar card & still have $12 left on it after a week. Made some pretty long calls back to UK too. You do however also get charged the local call rate while using the phone, but this is pretty cheap. Even with all the phone calls though, I'm really missing Kim (Mrs Bluerobot) & the kids like mad.
Bye for now,
Dave.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Hi everyone,
I'm still alive, I've been pretty busy during this first week, & don't get much time online.
Just to let everyone know what's going on. Arrived on 2nd at 8pm. Work booked me into a hotel in Parramatta for the first week. Got picked up at 9am on 3rd, issued with a phone & Holden Commodore 3.5L V6 & made to drive down to the bank to open an account. I'm still waiting for cards & cheque book though a week later.
Company car tax here is paid for by the employer which is definately a boon. I also get free fuel for private use (within reason) by means of a fuel card. The following are a selected few of the company car rules taken verbatum from the employee rule book:
"The company provides fuel by means of a company fuel card. This includes fuel for private use, just don't take the piss or this facility will be withdrawn."
"The towing of monster-sized boats is prohibited unless the boat is a directors boat & you have his permission."
"Do not take the vehicle off-road, (except where absolutely bloody necessary)."
"The vehicle is not to be taken out of the State for private use without prior director approval."
The car is a monster really, rear wheel drive, so need to be careful in the wet by all accounts. It's a Sedan, so its not going to be much good for carrying furnature when I eventually get some.
3rd & 4th were spent mainly recovering from jet-lag, which seems to kick in about 3pm. I hardly slept on the way over so not surprising really.
Saturday and Sunday were spent having a drive around looking for somewhere to stay for the first 6 months or so. It's a real pain during the week as it gets dark around 5pm at the moment. Both days were beautifully sunny but still quite cold.
The traffic here is crazy, everyone drives like maniacs, nose to tail with pretty narrow lanes to some of the streets (Parramatta Road being the worst - avoid if possible). There are also traffic lights everywhere, its a good job the car is an automatic. This in itself is an experience not having driven one before. There are speed cameras everywhere, but there is no excuse really, as in NSW each one is supposed to be signposted 3 times before you reach it.
Booked out of the hotel today, so booked in a B&B in Burwood for the next week at least. Its a bit of a dump & bloody freezing, so I've hired a heater for a dollar a day, but once again the people who run it are really friendly. This should give me a bit of breathing space for getting somewhere to live. It can take a week to get all the contracts drawn up etc when leasing. Most real estate agents won't take cash, so hopefully the cheque book will turn up soon.
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
The up side of this is that it's going into a town called Millicent just inside South Australia, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Looks like I'll be dropping into the office in Melbourne while I'm down thre too. Should be nice to see something other than nose to tail conjestion on the roads.
By the way, we opened a HSBC account in the UK, expecting it to make it easier to transfer funds, but they have turned out to be totally incompetant, taking over 4 days to transfer it, so beware.
First impressions are that Sydney is a bit of a scruffy hole (the bits I've seen so far), the traffic is manic, but the people are friendly. Even though it's scruffy, there is an amazing lack of litter for a city of this size. Real-Estate agents all seem to be spotty 18 year old sharks in smart suits who drive crappy white Toyotas. Houses & Units are crammed into every spare bit of land possible. The radio is a bit of a laugh the BBC would go mad. Some of the words I've heard on the morning radio show this week:
Bloody (quite mild really)
Bug**r
S**t
C**p
Wan**r
Ba**s
Still haven't managed to get into the centre of Sydney yet, been too busy.
By the way, anyone know of any decent suburbs with decent schools?
Those phonecards are a real boon. I bought a $20 dollar card & still have $12 left on it after a week. Made some pretty long calls back to UK too. You do however also get charged the local call rate while using the phone, but this is pretty cheap. Even with all the phone calls though, I'm really missing Kim (Mrs Bluerobot) & the kids like mad.
Bye for now,
Dave.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Jul 10th 2003, 5:47 pm
#5
Banned
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Re: Sydney Update
Originally posted by Bluerobot
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Good post just picking out your gems .
1 Roads in Sydney are packed ( not unlike UK)
2 Brit products run Australia Manifacturing lines
3 The radio is down market
4 You are finding out Abos are treated different
5 Australians are crap drivers
6 Australian cars (rear drive) are shite on Aussie roads
7 Fly boys are estate agents here
8 Space is not to be had in big cities in Australia
Boy you learn fast well done.
Jul 10th 2003, 7:15 pm
#6
Sun Dodger
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Castle Hill, Sydney
Posts: 204
Re: Sydney Update
Originally posted by pommie bastard
Good post just picking out your gems .
1 Roads in Sydney are packed ( not unlike UK)
2 Brit products run Australia Manifacturing lines
3 The radio is down market
4 You are finding out Abos are treated different
5 Australians are crap drivers
6 Australian cars (rear drive) are shite on Aussie roads
7 Fly boys are estate agents here
8 Space is not to be had in big cities in Australia
Boy you learn fast well done.
Good post just picking out your gems .
1 Roads in Sydney are packed ( not unlike UK)
2 Brit products run Australia Manifacturing lines
3 The radio is down market
4 You are finding out Abos are treated different
5 Australians are crap drivers
6 Australian cars (rear drive) are shite on Aussie roads
7 Fly boys are estate agents here
8 Space is not to be had in big cities in Australia
Boy you learn fast well done.
How's the move back to UK going?
Dave
Jul 10th 2003, 7:21 pm
#7
Banned
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Perth Arse end of the planet
Posts: 7,037
Re: Sydney Update
Originally posted by Bluerobot
Pretty much sums it up so far PB. I would say though that the engineering side is pretty advanced here. Some of the stuff I was in the process of developing in the UK has already been done over here. Companies seem more willing to invest too.
How's the move back to UK going?
Dave
Pretty much sums it up so far PB. I would say though that the engineering side is pretty advanced here. Some of the stuff I was in the process of developing in the UK has already been done over here. Companies seem more willing to invest too.
How's the move back to UK going?
Dave
Working for an R&D firm here I could not believe how limited enginerring is here?
The company you saw is owned by a none Australian concern , you have yet to see the locals at work yet.
Last edited by pommie bastard; Jul 10th 2003 at 7:26 pm.
Jul 10th 2003, 7:46 pm
#8
A Male Member
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Townsville
Posts: 2,106
Re: Sydney Update
Originally posted by Bluerobot
Hi everyone,
I'm still alive, I've been pretty busy during this first week, & don't get much time online.
Just to let everyone know what's going on. Arrived on 2nd at 8pm. Work booked me into a hotel in Parramatta for the first week. Got picked up at 9am on 3rd, issued with a phone & Holden Commodore 3.5L V6 & made to drive down to the bank to open an account. I'm still waiting for cards & cheque book though a week later.
Company car tax here is paid for by the employer which is definately a boon. I also get free fuel for private use (within reason) by means of a fuel card. The following are a selected few of the company car rules taken verbatum from the employee rule book:
"The company provides fuel by means of a company fuel card. This includes fuel for private use, just don't take the piss or this facility will be withdrawn."
"The towing of monster-sized boats is prohibited unless the boat is a directors boat & you have his permission."
"Do not take the vehicle off-road, (except where absolutely bloody necessary)."
"The vehicle is not to be taken out of the State for private use without prior director approval."
The car is a monster really, rear wheel drive, so need to be careful in the wet by all accounts. It's a Sedan, so its not going to be much good for carrying furnature when I eventually get some.
3rd & 4th were spent mainly recovering from jet-lag, which seems to kick in about 3pm. I hardly slept on the way over so not surprising really.
Saturday and Sunday were spent having a drive around looking for somewhere to stay for the first 6 months or so. It's a real pain during the week as it gets dark around 5pm at the moment. Both days were beautifully sunny but still quite cold.
The traffic here is crazy, everyone drives like maniacs, nose to tail with pretty narrow lanes to some of the streets (Parramatta Road being the worst - avoid if possible). There are also traffic lights everywhere, its a good job the car is an automatic. This in itself is an experience not having driven one before. There are speed cameras everywhere, but there is no excuse really, as in NSW each one is supposed to be signposted 3 times before you reach it.
Booked out of the hotel today, so booked in a B&B in Burwood for the next week at least. Its a bit of a dump & bloody freezing, so I've hired a heater for a dollar a day, but once again the people who run it are really friendly. This should give me a bit of breathing space for getting somewhere to live. It can take a week to get all the contracts drawn up etc when leasing. Most real estate agents won't take cash, so hopefully the cheque book will turn up soon.
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
The up side of this is that it's going into a town called Millicent just inside South Australia, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Looks like I'll be dropping into the office in Melbourne while I'm down thre too. Should be nice to see something other than nose to tail conjestion on the roads.
By the way, we opened a HSBC account in the UK, expecting it to make it easier to transfer funds, but they have turned out to be totally incompetant, taking over 4 days to transfer it, so beware.
First impressions are that Sydney is a bit of a scruffy hole (the bits I've seen so far), the traffic is manic, but the people are friendly. Even though it's scruffy, there is an amazing lack of litter for a city of this size. Real-Estate agents all seem to be spotty 18 year old sharks in smart suits who drive crappy white Toyotas. Houses & Units are crammed into every spare bit of land possible. The radio is a bit of a laugh the BBC would go mad. Some of the words I've heard on the morning radio show this week:
Bloody (quite mild really)
Bug**r
S**t
C**p
Wan**r
Ba**s
Still haven't managed to get into the centre of Sydney yet, been too busy.
By the way, anyone know of any decent suburbs with decent schools?
Those phonecards are a real boon. I bought a $20 dollar card & still have $12 left on it after a week. Made some pretty long calls back to UK too. You do however also get charged the local call rate while using the phone, but this is pretty cheap. Even with all the phone calls though, I'm really missing Kim (Mrs Bluerobot) & the kids like mad.
Bye for now,
Dave.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Hi everyone,
I'm still alive, I've been pretty busy during this first week, & don't get much time online.
Just to let everyone know what's going on. Arrived on 2nd at 8pm. Work booked me into a hotel in Parramatta for the first week. Got picked up at 9am on 3rd, issued with a phone & Holden Commodore 3.5L V6 & made to drive down to the bank to open an account. I'm still waiting for cards & cheque book though a week later.
Company car tax here is paid for by the employer which is definately a boon. I also get free fuel for private use (within reason) by means of a fuel card. The following are a selected few of the company car rules taken verbatum from the employee rule book:
"The company provides fuel by means of a company fuel card. This includes fuel for private use, just don't take the piss or this facility will be withdrawn."
"The towing of monster-sized boats is prohibited unless the boat is a directors boat & you have his permission."
"Do not take the vehicle off-road, (except where absolutely bloody necessary)."
"The vehicle is not to be taken out of the State for private use without prior director approval."
The car is a monster really, rear wheel drive, so need to be careful in the wet by all accounts. It's a Sedan, so its not going to be much good for carrying furnature when I eventually get some.
3rd & 4th were spent mainly recovering from jet-lag, which seems to kick in about 3pm. I hardly slept on the way over so not surprising really.
Saturday and Sunday were spent having a drive around looking for somewhere to stay for the first 6 months or so. It's a real pain during the week as it gets dark around 5pm at the moment. Both days were beautifully sunny but still quite cold.
The traffic here is crazy, everyone drives like maniacs, nose to tail with pretty narrow lanes to some of the streets (Parramatta Road being the worst - avoid if possible). There are also traffic lights everywhere, its a good job the car is an automatic. This in itself is an experience not having driven one before. There are speed cameras everywhere, but there is no excuse really, as in NSW each one is supposed to be signposted 3 times before you reach it.
Booked out of the hotel today, so booked in a B&B in Burwood for the next week at least. Its a bit of a dump & bloody freezing, so I've hired a heater for a dollar a day, but once again the people who run it are really friendly. This should give me a bit of breathing space for getting somewhere to live. It can take a week to get all the contracts drawn up etc when leasing. Most real estate agents won't take cash, so hopefully the cheque book will turn up soon.
Went to the Arnotts factory in Blacktown this morning for a bit of a guided tour of the large robot system we have in there. Some of you will be pleased to know that all Tim-Tams and just about every other Arnotts biscuits manufactured in NSW and Queensland are thrown on a pallet by our robots. Didn't get offered any free samples though.
Was dumped right in it in the afternoon, having been given a 3-robot palletising system worth $2m to manage. Robots arrived today and need to be in & working in 2 months time, a bit of a challenge I think. They are going into a well-known toilet-roll manufacturer's plant. Wonder if this is an omen, I've obviously been dropped straight into the s**t, but at least I'll have plenty of the soft stuff to clean myself up with. If all goes well, I might come out of it smelling of Aloe Vera.
The up side of this is that it's going into a town called Millicent just inside South Australia, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide. Looks like I'll be dropping into the office in Melbourne while I'm down thre too. Should be nice to see something other than nose to tail conjestion on the roads.
By the way, we opened a HSBC account in the UK, expecting it to make it easier to transfer funds, but they have turned out to be totally incompetant, taking over 4 days to transfer it, so beware.
First impressions are that Sydney is a bit of a scruffy hole (the bits I've seen so far), the traffic is manic, but the people are friendly. Even though it's scruffy, there is an amazing lack of litter for a city of this size. Real-Estate agents all seem to be spotty 18 year old sharks in smart suits who drive crappy white Toyotas. Houses & Units are crammed into every spare bit of land possible. The radio is a bit of a laugh the BBC would go mad. Some of the words I've heard on the morning radio show this week:
Bloody (quite mild really)
Bug**r
S**t
C**p
Wan**r
Ba**s
Still haven't managed to get into the centre of Sydney yet, been too busy.
By the way, anyone know of any decent suburbs with decent schools?
Those phonecards are a real boon. I bought a $20 dollar card & still have $12 left on it after a week. Made some pretty long calls back to UK too. You do however also get charged the local call rate while using the phone, but this is pretty cheap. Even with all the phone calls though, I'm really missing Kim (Mrs Bluerobot) & the kids like mad.
Bye for now,
Dave.
By the way, does anyone know why Aborigines have to be warned about TV programmes that may show "deceased persons". Also, does that mean that pictures of actual dead people are about to be shown, or just pictures of people who are no longer alive?
Bizzare coincidence....but i worked in that paper mill in millicent (its actually nearer Tanatanoola) for about 3 months as a chemistry technician !!
Go to tantanoola caves if you get time...they are small but have loads of great stalagtites and mites....very impresssive.
One thing you won't like about the mill.....the smell
The "blend" they use to soften the pulp stinks. Luckiliy its far enough from the towns so you can't smell if from there.My in-laws live in mountgambier....If you want any places to go see/stay in the region let me know
Cheers
Pete.
Jul 10th 2003, 8:11 pm
#9
High in the Dandenongs
Joined: Apr 2003
Location: Listening to Puffing Billy
Posts: 9,183
Hi Ya Dave
Excellent post though you sound a bit pissed off mate!
Are you using your plate and cutlery for one, that may have something to do with it
Will phone Kim later and see if shes up for a few over the weekend, speak soon mate
Heather
PS hopefully we will be in Melbourne when you get to go over!
Excellent post though you sound a bit pissed off mate!
Are you using your plate and cutlery for one, that may have something to do with it
Will phone Kim later and see if shes up for a few over the weekend, speak soon mate
Heather
PS hopefully we will be in Melbourne when you get to go over!
Jul 10th 2003, 8:16 pm
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2003
Location: back from far south coast, NSW, now in Cheltenham
Posts: 205
Dave,
great post.
Re the question at end: I read a book recently about aboriginal customs/spirtuality etc. and although I'm a bit vague about this it mentioned that talking about dead aboriginals was offensive to their philosophy/religion, (not sure waht you would call it) which they know as 'dreamtime'.
Perhaps the announcements before tv progs warn them that there will be mention of a deceased aborigine?
Bella
great post.
Re the question at end: I read a book recently about aboriginal customs/spirtuality etc. and although I'm a bit vague about this it mentioned that talking about dead aboriginals was offensive to their philosophy/religion, (not sure waht you would call it) which they know as 'dreamtime'.
Perhaps the announcements before tv progs warn them that there will be mention of a deceased aborigine?
Bella
Jul 10th 2003, 9:58 pm
#11
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Sydney Update
the Parramatta region and parts of surburban Western Sydney, Parramatta Road and Victoria Road are some of the grimmest parts of the city so people shouldn't be duly put off by Sydney or Australia...by reading this.
if you get a Ford or a Commodore make sure you get decent tyres on them. They, the rentals especially, will fishtail in the wet very easily. Not a bad car really.
badgers
if you get a Ford or a Commodore make sure you get decent tyres on them. They, the rentals especially, will fishtail in the wet very easily. Not a bad car really.
badgers
Jul 10th 2003, 10:34 pm
#12
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Feb 2002
Location: Dream life UK....
Posts: 2,912
Good post Mr Robot. Beware of the car perks I am pretty sure that "perks" like company cars, private use petrol etc are classed as taxable income here.
For others looking for work here, advertised salaries often include the compulsory super, car, phones etc that you may get so all of the advertised figure may not be pure cash but perks.
For others looking for work here, advertised salaries often include the compulsory super, car, phones etc that you may get so all of the advertised figure may not be pure cash but perks.
Jul 10th 2003, 10:51 pm
#13
Sydneysider and lovin it!
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Sydney - Eastern Subs
Posts: 225
Re: Sydney Update
Originally posted by badgersmount
the Parramatta region and parts of surburban Western Sydney, Parramatta Road and Victoria Road are some of the grimmest parts of the city so people shouldn't be duly put off by Sydney or Australia...by reading this.
if you get a Ford or a Commodore make sure you get decent tyres on them. They, the rentals especially, will fishtail in the wet very easily. Not a bad car really.
badgers
the Parramatta region and parts of surburban Western Sydney, Parramatta Road and Victoria Road are some of the grimmest parts of the city so people shouldn't be duly put off by Sydney or Australia...by reading this.
if you get a Ford or a Commodore make sure you get decent tyres on them. They, the rentals especially, will fishtail in the wet very easily. Not a bad car really.
badgers
As for over crowding you should start to head out of the centre more, either North or South and you'll find the space you crave.
The cars I have to agree on I had a 1.6 Nissan as a first hire car and it was far better (and almost as quick) as a 3.6 Holden.
I know first impressions count but like any new place give it a chance and experience all of it before finalising your views.
I would also recommend a few Cascades of an evening; it helps the world go round!!
Dinky
Jul 11th 2003, 6:54 am
#14
Guest
Posts: n/a
hi dad
hi dad!
whats the weather like?
i got back from france two days ago, and we had to go in to school the day after we got back.
I went in the morning but stayed at home for the rest of the afternoon, because i feelt ill, i was off school again today for i had a bad head ake
hope to hear from you soon love jessxx
whats the weather like?
i got back from france two days ago, and we had to go in to school the day after we got back.
I went in the morning but stayed at home for the rest of the afternoon, because i feelt ill, i was off school again today for i had a bad head ake
hope to hear from you soon love jessxx
Jul 11th 2003, 12:26 pm
#15
Living the dream downunde
Joined: Oct 2002
Location: MeadowBank, Sydney, Aussie Land of Sea,Sun and Seashells
Posts: 355
I love Sydney as a city compared with London, etc.
I've lived there for nearly a year a few years ago and cant wait to get back.
Australian Radio and TV are really special when compared to the U.K., no offwatch or offtel or anything like that I think. Watch some of the TV ad's, really funny some times.
Sydney Central traffic is mad if you have never lived in a big city before, I've been there and woren the t-shirt since I took the company car into the city centre one day when I lived there.
However Sydney is the best city and famous city in Australia, it is a great symbol to Australia.
I've lived there for nearly a year a few years ago and cant wait to get back.
Australian Radio and TV are really special when compared to the U.K., no offwatch or offtel or anything like that I think. Watch some of the TV ad's, really funny some times.
Sydney Central traffic is mad if you have never lived in a big city before, I've been there and woren the t-shirt since I took the company car into the city centre one day when I lived there.
However Sydney is the best city and famous city in Australia, it is a great symbol to Australia.
